Escapement device



Jan. 16, 1951 T, 1 D, LYNXWILER 2,538,022

ESCAPEMENT DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1948 I Hl l? MY@ Z5 IHllr. v v

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 ESOAPEMENT DEVICE rlhomas L. D. Lynxwiler,Ingleside, Ill., assignor to Mills Industries, Incorporated, Chicago,Ill.,

a corporation of Illinois Application September 9, 1948, Serial No.48,471

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to escapement mechanisms and has as an importantobject the provision of an escapement device which will prevent bothclockwise and counter-clockwise rotation of a shaft, and which, uponoperation of the device, will allow the shaft to be rotatably advanced apredetermined number of degrees in one direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an escapement device ofthe above character which will prevent counter-rotation of said shaftduring the operation of the device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in an escapementdevice having the aforesaid characteristics, parts alternatelyengageable with an escapement wheel to allow rotative advancement of thelatter and at the same time to prevent an uncontrolled rotation of saidwheel.

Other objects and advantages, such as the simplicity of the parts, willbe apparent from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional View of an escapement device of my inventionshowing the parts thereof in their normal positions in which therotation of an escapement wheel is prevented;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device showing the position of the partstherein when said parts are moved to free said wheel for rotation; and

Fig. 3 is a like view showing the parts being returned to their normalpositions by the rotation of said wheel.

In the drawing the numeral ID indicates generally a block of metal orthe like within which is provided a race l I having opposing parallelsurfaces l2 and i3 adapted to receive opposite sides Iii and I5 (Fig. 2)of a reciprocatable pallet shown generally at I6. A shaft il extendsthrough the block i at right angles to the race il and has iixedthereon, in any suitable manner, an escapement wheel i3 disposed in aplane with the pallet. Said wheel has thereon a plurality of teeth I9,

v each of said teeth being formed by a chordal surface 2B and a radialsurface 2i on the wheel I8.

The pallet it has an inner vertical surface 22 extending upwardly fromits lower side l to form a heel 23, and from the inner side of thepallet a finger 24 extends above the escapement wheel I8. On theextremity of the inger is formed a depending hook member 25 havingthereon a substantially vertical surface 26.

Although it will be understood that the pallet I6 may be reciprocatedmanually or otherwise, I

2 have shown, for purposes of illustration, a solenoid 21 suitable foroperating said pallet. Said solenoid may be provided with a retractablearmature 28 which may be fastened to the pallet as by a bolt 29 passedthrough the end of the armature and through the outer end of saidpallet.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawing and described aboveis adapted to allow rotatable advancement of the shaft H in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in the drawing, torque from an outside source (notshown) being applied to the shaft to rotate the same in said clockwisedirection. Said device is readily adaptable, for example, for use indispensing machines and the like, such as the dispensing machine which Ihave described in my copending application, Serial No. 54,939, iiledconcurrently herewith, wherein it is necessary that a dispensing elementbe allowed to rotate a predetermined number of degrees each time adispensing operation takes place.

In its normal condition the pallet Iii is disposed in the position shownin Fig. l, the heels 23 being in engagement with one of the teeth It onthe wheel I8. In this position it will be seen that the surface i4 ofthe pallet lays flat against one of the radial surfaces 2! of the wheeland the vertical surface 22 of the pallet lays iiat against one of thechordal surfaces 26 of said wheel, thus preventing rotation of the wheeli8 and shaft Il in either direction.

Upon energization of the solenoid 2l the armature 28 is moved to theleft, as seen in the drawing, and the pallet I6 is moved to the positionshown in Fig. 2, the heel 23 being disengaged from the wheel and thehook member 25 being simultaneously brought into the path of the teethI9 on said wheel with the surface 26 on the hook engaging one of theradial surfaces 2l on the wheel and the bottom surface of the hooklaying at along an adjacent chordal surface 2E). In this position itwill be understood that hook :member 25 prevents counterclockwiserotation of the wheel I8 and, for so long as the solenoid is energized,prevents clockwise rotation of said wheel. When the solenoid 21 isde-energized, however, clockwise torque applied to the shaft l1 willrotate the wheel in a clockwise direction, the uppermost tooth I9 of thewheel carrying the hook member 25, and thus the pallet I6, to the rightand toward its normal position. As the latter tooth moves the hookmember 25 out of the path of the teeth, the heel 23 of the pallet ismoved into said path to engage the next tooth (indicated by I 9a).Engagement of the tooth ISa with the 3 heel 23 stops the rotation of thewheel I8 and the shaft il, and with said engagement all of the partsWill have been returned to the normal positions thereof as illustratedin Fig. 1, the heel 23 reaining the wheel in its newly rotated position.

It will be seen that, in the manner above described, the wheel IS may berotatably advanced a predetermined number of degrees` each time thepallet is moved to the'left-as seen in the drawing.` It will further beevident, however, that regardless of the position of the pallet i6,counter-rota tion of the shaft Il and the wheel I8 will be impossibleand uncontrolled rotation of the wheel and shaft will at all times beprevented.

The foregoing detailed description hasY beengiven for clearance ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should beunderstoodtherefrom, for it will be apparent that various changes may be made inthe form and construction of the device of my invention without departuingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Anv `escapernent device comprising, a rotatable wheel, a plurality ofevenly spaced teeth on the circumference of said wheel, each of saidteeth having a radial surface and a chordal surface thereon, a heelsimultaneously engageable withr a radial surface or" one of said teethand a chordal surface of an adjacent tooth thereby preventing rotationof said wheel in any direction While. said heel is in engagement withsaid surfaces: and a member engageable with said Wheel andiwithY thechordal surface of a third tooth on said wheel in the disengagement ofsaid heel from the surfaces of said iirst teeth, said member preventingrotation of said wheel in one directionand being movable to disengagingpositionbyv rotation of said wheel in another direction, said heel beingmoved into engaging posi* tion in the disengagement of said member fromsaid wheel.

2. An esoapement device comprising, a rotatable Wheel, a plurality ofevenly spaced teeth on the circumference of said wheel, each of saidteeth having a radial surface and a chordal surface thereon, areciprocable pallet, a heel on said pallet-simultaneously engageablewith a radial surface of one of said teeth and a chordal surface of 'anadjacent tooth thereby preventing rotation of said wheel in anydirection while said heel is in engagement with said surfaces, and amem-ber on said pallet engageable with said wheel and with the chordalsurface of a third tooth on said Wheel in the disengagement of said heelfrom thefsurfacesof said first teeth, said member preventing :rotationof said wheel in one direction and being movableV to disengagingposition by rotation of said wheel in another' direction, said i heelbeing moved into engaging position in the disengagement of said memberfrom Said wheel.

3. An escapement device comprising, a rotatable wheel, a reciprocatablepallet having a heel engageable with said wheel, said heel havingangularly-disposed wheel-engaging surfaces and the wheel havingcorresponding surfaces arranged to be engaged by said heel at eachposition of rest oi-the wheel, thus preventing rotation of said wheel inany direction while said heel is in engagement therewith, means forreciprocating the pallet to disengage said heel from the Wheel, and ahook member on said pallet engageable with said Wheel upon disengagementof said heel Y therefrom, said member preventing rotation of said wheelin one direction while in engagement therewith and being movable todisengaging position by rotation of said wheel in another direction, theaction of said Wheel on said member moving said heel into its initialposition in engagement with the wheel and disengaging said member fromthe wheel.

4. An` escapement device comprising a rotatable wheel having a pluralityof evenly spaced teeth'on the circumference thereof, a reciprocatablepallet having a heel providedy with angularly-disposed wheel-engagingsurfaces simultaneously engageable with correspondinglyangularly-disposed surfaces of two adjacent teeth on said wheel, therebypreventing rotation of the latter in any direction while said heel is inengagement with said surfaces, mea-ns for reciprocating the pailet todisengage the heel from the wheel, and a hook member on said palletengageable with'a third tooth on said wheel upon disengagement of saidheel from said surfaces, said member preventing rotation of'said wheelin one direction while in engagement with said third tooth and beingmovable to disengaging position by rotation of said wheel in anotherdirection, such actionof saidwheel upon said member moving said heelinto its initial position in engagement with the succeeding teeth of thewheel upon disengagement of said member from said third 45 tooth;

THOMAS L. D. LYNXVVILER.

REFERENCES The following references are of record in the 50 file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

